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  1. Attire - invest in a suitcase or a professional looking portfolio to bring to the interview which should have pen and paper, resumes, unofficial transcript (just in case), and business cards (if you have one)
    1. Picture references: http://parteatime.tumblr.com/post/95053255284/nesterukphotography-whathappenedtocharlotte?og=1&fb_action_ids=10152206168066574&fb_action_types=og.likes
    2. Female
      1. Pants if interviewing for engineering positions
        1. Loose, straight-legged pants
        2. ABSOLUTELY NO REVEALING TOPS OR BOTTOMS
      2. Light make-up if possible, to convey professional look
      3. Hair should not cover face. tying up hair could convey a professional message
    3. Male
      1. Fitted suit
      2. Darker color tie/shirt conveys a trustworthy personality
      3. Cleanly shaved, hair should not cover face, lightly style hair to convey professionalism
    4. Because of the nature of the job (engineering), you might get a tour of the lab/facility. dress appropriately for a tour of lab/field/etc.
  2. Research - look up the company ahead of time, note down important things
    1. Key players: CEO, COO, hiring manager, find out if you know anyone that works at the company. connection ALWAYS helps
    2. THEIR MISSION. always find out their mission statements and vision and try to tailor your interview and personal interest to that (don’t over do it)
    3. Recent events that were on the news
    4. Location, company size, company history (when they started)
    5. What do they mainly do (interviewers like to ask this question to see how much you know about their company)
    6. If there is a skill in the job description that you don’t have (but seems important), try to learn as much as possible on the Internet in case if you are asked about it. This shows initiative and eagerness to learn
    7. Figure out what type of company: refinery (operations), engineering (design), consulting( expertise).
    8. Glassdoor and wikipedia are always good places to get started, besides the company website
  3. Review your own resume (make sure you are familiar with skill/techniques you put on)
    1. Make sure you have the skill sets that you mentioned in the resume and that you are ready to talk about it
    2. Since each resume should be tailored specifically to the job, make sure you know what you put on there in case if they ask
    3. Review STAR questions (mentioned below), skills that the job may require
  4. Time management
    1. Arrive 15 minutes earlier.
    2. If too early, stay in your car and review your notes / relax
    3. Make sure you know how to get there the day before and think about traffic
    4. NEVER ARRIVE LATE
  5. Personality
    1. Firm handshake before and after interview
    2. Forward body motion shows that you are interested
    3. At the end when interviewer ask “do you have any questions for us,” always ask some questions to show your interest (but not questions like when will I hear back, etc.)
      1. http://www.businessinsider.com/best-job-interview-questions-2014-6  (questions for you to ask interviewers)
    4. Don’t chew gum, leave cell phone in the car, don’t wear sunglasses, hat/beanie
  6. Using STAR method to answer situational questions - whenever you have accomplished something at an internship/job/research/group project that’s STAR-worthy, write them down so you have something if asked during interview.
    1. Situation - talk about the situation that was presented to you
    2. Task - the task/ your objective. things that you have to do/overcome
    3. Action - the things that you have done in regards to the situation
    4. Result - the outcome from your action
  7. How to go about answering questions (maybe technical questions) that you don’t know the answer to
    1. Always have an answer
    2. Be honest
      1. Start with saying “ I’m sorry I don’t know the answer to this question, but [tell them what you know about it]” or say “here’s how i would respond to the situation….”
      2. “I may not have the [hands-on] experience, but based on my understanding of the theory…..”
  8. 50 standard interview questions: http://www.collegegrad.com/jobsearch/Mastering-the-Interview/Fifty-Standard-Interview-Questions/
    1. Always practice with yourself in the mirror before an interview; talk to yourself, go through questions and scenarios in your mind just so that you are prepared
  9. Asking for salary
    1. The one who speaks first, loses
      1. Let the company bring up the money
      2. “I trust that based on my experience and my skills, that you will provide me with a fair offer”
  10. Thank you note
    1. Follow up with an email saying that you had a good time chatting with ____ insert name and make sure to include something specific that you guys talked about
    2. Don’t ask when you’ll hear back from them
    3. Be as sincere as possible, proofread it!